EC posts Article 326 snapshot amid Opposition pushback on Bihar electoral roll revision

On June 24, the EC ordered a Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls of Bihar.

Ahead of the Bihar assenbly election, the Election Commission on Wednesday posted an image of Article 326 of the Constitution on its X account.

Amid opposition from various parties, the poll panel has been saying that the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being conducted in accordance with Article 326.  While Article 324 of the Constitution empowers the EC to oversee elections, Article 326 directs that the franchise be limited to adult Indian citizens.

The last such revision for Bihar was carried out in 2003. The poll panel cited multiple reasons, such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and the inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants, as reasons behind this decision.

As part of the process, voters may be asked to submit documents to support their claims. This is also for their parents if their names are mentioned. Each document must be self-attested and submitted separately for the individual, father, and mother.

However, if a person's name appears in the electoral roll dated January 1, 2003, it alone will be treated as sufficient proof. No additional documents will be needed in that case.

The Election Commission of India posts Article 326 of the Constitution of India on its 'X' account. pic.twitter.com/La2wDQVEqj

— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2025

The month-long exercise that began on June 25 is progressing on schedule and the draft electoral roll is set to be published on August 1 for corrections, if any. It will end with the publication of the final electoral roll September 30.

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday led a procession to Patna’s election commission office against the special intensive revision of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar amid a bandh call and state-wide protests.